Keluaran 18:13

18:13 On the next day ¹  Moses sat to judge ²  the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning until evening.

Keluaran 19:1

Israel at Sinai

19:1 ³ In the third month after the Israelites went out ⁴  from the land of Egypt, on the very day, ⁵  they came to the Desert of Sinai.

Keluaran 25:28

25:28 You are to make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, so that the table may be carried with them. ⁶ 

Keluaran 26:28

26:28 The middle bar in the center of the frames will reach from end to end. ⁷ 

[18:13]  ¹ tn Heb “and it was/happened on the morrow.”

[18:13]  ² sn This is a simple summary of the function of Moses on this particular day. He did not necessarily do this every day, but it was time now to do it. The people would come to solve their difficulties or to hear instruction from Moses on decisions to be made. The tradition of “sitting in Moses’ seat” is drawn from this passage.

[19:1]  ³ sn This chapter is essentially about mediation. The people are getting ready to meet with God, receive the Law from him, and enter into a covenant with him. All of this required mediation and preparation. Through it all, Israel will become God’s unique possession, a kingdom of priests on earth – if they comply with his Law. The chapter can be divided as follows: vv. 1-8 tell how God, Israel’s great deliverer promised to make them a kingdom of priests; this is followed by God’s declaration that Moses would be the mediator (v. 9); vv. 10-22 record instructions for Israel to prepare themselves to worship Yahweh and an account of the manifestation of Yahweh with all the phenomena; and the chapter closes with the mediation of Moses on behalf of the people (vv. 23-25). Having been redeemed from Egypt, the people will now be granted a covenant with God. See also R. E. Bee, “A Statistical Study of the Sinai Pericope,” Journal of the Royal Statistical Society 135 (1972): 406-21.

[19:1]  ⁴ tn The construction uses the infinitive construct followed by the subjective genitive to form a temporal clause.

[19:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “on this day.”

[25:28]  ⁶ tn The verb is a Niphal perfect with vav consecutive, showing here the intended result: “so that [the table] might be lifted up [by them].” The noun “the table” is introduced by what looks like the sign of the accusative, but here it serves to introduce or emphasize the nominative (see GKC 365 §117.i).

[26:28]  ⁷ sn These bars served as reinforcements to hold the upright frames together. The Hebrew term for these bars is also used of crossbars on gates (Judg 16:3; Neh 3:3).